Nail-plate-peeding apparatus



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

ADOLPHUS HEDDAEUS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

NAIL-PLATE-FEECDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,515, dated August 12, 1856.

T o all whom it 'may concern: l

Be it known that I, ADoLPHUs HEDDAEUS, of Pittsburgh, in the county ofAlleghenyv and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and usefulImprovement in Feed Apparatus for Nail-Machines; and I do 'herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my nailfeeding apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side viewy thereof. Fig. 3 isa groundplan of the bed plate of my machine. Fig. 4 is an end View of myapparatus.

In the several figures like letters of reference denote similar parts ofmy apparatus.

My nail feeder is so constructed as to be applied to nail makingmachines of any ordinary kind, and is designed to do the work of feedingthe machines, as the nails are made, by turning over thel nail plateafter each nail is cut off, and advancing the plate forward thethickness of one nail at each stroke of the machine, so as to place theend of the nail plate under t-he knives or cutters of the machine forthe manufacture of another nail, and to repeat this action successivelyuntil the whole nail plate (excepting that part held by the nippers) isworked up into nails.

As the nails made by machinery taper, being larger at the head than atthe point, it is necessary', so soon as one nail is severed from thenail plate, to turn the nail plate half round, so as to allow for thetaper of the nails, and it is also necessary to withdraw the nail platefrom it-s position between the cutters, while it is being turned, topreventthe injury which would ensue to the lower cutter if the platewere turned on the edge of the cutter; and in replacing the nail platebetween the cutters, it must be advanced each time a uniform distanceexactly equal to the required thickness of the nails ot-herwise thenails would be Very irregular in size.

The slightest variation in the relative position of the nailfeedingapparatus, and the nail machine, will make a difference in the taper ofthe nails, so that it is necessary to adjust the apparatus every timethe cutters are ground, and as this point is of great importance, onegreat object of my apparatus is to admit of a nice adjustment of theapparatus, so as to accommodate the nail plate to the position of thecutters of the nail machine with great precision, even when themachinery is in operation, thus effecting a saving of the time whichwould be lost, if (as in similar apparatus) it were necessary to stopthe machine each time the feeder required adjustment. j

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my machine I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

vIn the several drawings A is the .bed plate of the machine.

B is an inclined frame or carriage which supports the feeding apparatus.The lower extremity of the frame B passes under the lower cutter c ofthe nail machine and is `so that where the frame B, is turned on itscent-er d the hook of the bolt f will always rest on the flange g andkeep the rear end of the frame B, in its place on the bed-plate A. Thescrew nut b on the hooked bolt f is loosened when the frame B is to bemoved, and tightened again after its adjustment. The set screw passesthrough a block z with a smooth bore, attached to the bed plate A andalso through a swivel nut 7c att-ached by a pin or pivot Z tothe frameB, near to the rear end of the frame. By turning this set screw i (wherethe nut b on the hooked bolt f is loosened) the whole frame B whichcarries the feeding apparatus may be moved in an arc of a circle, ofwhich the pin Z is the center, the effect of which is, that astheextremity of the nail plate n is.` in the same exact perpendicular lineas the' center pin cl that this mo-tion of the frame B varies the taperof the nail by adjusting the angle which the nail plate bears to theface of the cutters c and e.

In Figs. 1 and 2 C is the cutting lever ofthe nail machine which moveson its center 0 communicating the proper up and down motion to the uppercutter e. From the top of the short arm of this lever C projects a bentarm D fastened at both ends of the lever C, and in the center of the armD immediately over the upper cutter e and (where the lever C is at halfstroke) immediately in the perpendicular line :z2-m passing through thecenter pin Z is a ball wrist 7*, which plays in the socket joint in oneend of the shaft E which communicates motion from the nail machine tothe feeding apparatus. The other extremity of the shaft E has likewise aball and socket connection Q with the crank F the ball being at the endof the crank arm F and the socket in the extremity of the shaft E. Theshaft E forms the only connection between the nail machine and thefeeding apparatus (excepting at the center pin (Z connecting the frame Bwith the bed plate A), and the ball and socket joint at either end oftheshaft- E permits the shaft E to move the crank F equally well whetherthe center of the ball g is in the same vertical plane as that in whichthe center of the cutting lever C moves, or in a different verticalplane, but parallel thereto, as will be the case whenever the frame B ismoved by the set screw z' to one side or the other, of a line passinghorizontally through the center of the nail machine. To the frame B isattached the standard a which supports the wheel G. The crank F playsloosely on the shaft or axle m (which carries the large wheel G) wit-h abackward and forward motion communicated to it by the shaft E from thecutting lever C (as shown by red lines on Fig. 2). The wheel G is madevery light, so as to give it as little momentum as possible, because itis designed to have an intermittent and not a continuously rotatingmotion.

On the beveled edge of the wheel G are cogs, gearing into a small pinionp, so arranged that one complete up and down stroke of the lever Ccausing a partial revolution of the large wheel G will effect a halfrevolution of the pinion p and pinion shaft s. The intermittent rotarymotion of the wheel G is caused by a spring pawl t (see Figs. l and 2)which works in the ratchet with u u, placed under the cog teeth on theinside of the rim of the large wheel G. If the number of cogs in thelarge wheel G are in such proportionate number to the cogs on the pinionp that one tenth revolution of the wheel will produce a half revolutionof the pinion p (as in the drawings), then there are ten ratchet teethon the rim of the wheel, and each complete up and down stroke of thecutting lever C causes a tenth revolution of the wheel G. On the outeredge or circumference of the wheel G are placed ten projections or stopsfu, o, which prevent the wheel being embedded too far, and hold itsteadily in place when the nail is being made by means of the, springfw,

resting on the circumference o-f the wheel, and dropping under one ofthe stops c to prevent the backward motion of the spring pawl t fromcausing the wheel G to move back, and the spring catch m which preventsthe wheel moving forward, excepting when it is pressed down by the levery which is depressed the moment the wheel begins to advance by theaction of a little arm l pro-jecting from the crank F.

It is not necessary that each stroke of the lever should move the bevelwheel one tenth round, but the pinion 7'), wheel G and length of thecrank F, may be adjusted to move it one twelfth or other desiredfractional revolution. This will be regulated by the size of themachine.

The pinion shaft s is hollow forming a tube or sleeve s open at the endnearest to the nail machine and attached to the pinion y? at the otherend. rThis shaft or sleeve s is supported in bearings in the uprights H,H in which it turns on its axis. In the sleeve s is a ball a working inthe sleeve s as a socket, and prevented from turning round in the sleeveat right angles to its axis by two pins c c which project throughlongitudinal straight slots fl ci, in the sleeve s. To this ball a isattached the feed screw K, which projects outside of the sleeve s towardthe nail machine, and terminates in the jaws or nippers j which hold thenail plate n. The feed screw K has screw threads cut on it to within ashort distance of the ball a and is supported at one end in the sleeve sby the ball a. and in front of the sleeve by the female screw I, I, setin the elliptical spring L, (shown more clearly in Fig. l). The femalescrew I I is in two pieces, and when the cam b is turned down, these twopieces close on the feed screw K, and cause the rotation on its axis offeed screw K, to draw it gradually out of the sleeve s and advance it,and the nail plate a, which it carries toward the cutters or knives ofthe nail machine. Thus when the upward stroke of the cutting lever Ccauses the pinion p to make a half revolution on its axis, the pinionshaft or sleeve s also revolves, and with it the feed screw K and nailplate n, and as the threads of the screw are cut so that the pitch ofeach thread is exact by double the thickness of one nail, it followsthat the half revolution of the feed screw K advances the nail plate nforward just the thickness of the nail to becut, so that when thecutting lever C again descends the nail plate will be just in the rightposition between the cutters c and e for the making of another nail.

The whole feed apparatus is as before stated, inclined to the horizontalat such an angle that the nail plate enters between the cutters of themachine with the proper dip or inclination.

The nail plate n rests on the lower cutter 0 of the nail machine` (asseen in Fig. 2), and if the lower bearing of the feed screw at I werefixed, so as to prevent the screw rising slightly, the nail plate couldnot be turned around at all Without breaking the feed apparatus, orinjury to the edge of the cutter c.' To remedy this and allow of so muchupward and sidewise motion of the feed screw as to permit the nail platen to be turned with ease, I set the female screw I, I, on the top of anelliptical spring or steel hoop L (see Fig. l) which when at rest,maintains its proper position with suficient firmness and yet will yieldupward, sidewise, backward and forward so as to allow the feed screw Kto rise as the nail plate turns on its edge and when the semirevolut-ionis performed will bring the nail plate in its proper position betweenthe knives. The ball joint a at the end of the feed screw K permits thefeed screw to rise and move sidewise in the sleeve s turning on a as acenter. It will be seen, however, by reference to the drawing (Fig. 9.)that the side of the nail plate n rests on the edge of the lower cutterc, and as the turning of the nail plate n on the edge of the cutterwould injure it, I draw the nail plate backward, at the moment ofturning it by means of the cam f which is placed on the sleeve s, andturns with it (see Figs. 1 and 2.) This cam f consists of two inclinedplanes, so as to act twice during each whole revolution of the sleeve s.Against the face of this cam f rests the end of an upright spring gwhich is connected by a horizontal rod h with the elliptical spring L,and draws it back, just as t-he nail plate n is on the point of turning;the ball a with its pins c c working in the slots d d in the sleeves andallowing the feed screw K, and its appendages to recede sufliciently. Assoon as the nail plate is turned, the cam f eases the spring g andallows the nail platenJ to be advanced to its proper position betweenthe cutters by the reaction of the elliptical spring L.

The nail plate n will continue to advance with each half revolution ofthe feed screw 711, as the nails are cut from it, untilnearly the wholeof the nail plate is cut up; and when the feed screw has advanced thusfar through the female screw I the threads on the feed screw cease (atz" Fig. 2) so that the further revolution of the feed screw, no matterhow long continued, will not havail to advance the feed screw K andnipper jaws y' nearer to the cutters of the nail machine. When the feedscrew arrivesv at this point, the boy who tends the machine can run thefeed screw back into its sleeve s for the insertion of a fresh nailplate by turning the cam which holds down the jaws of the female screw II, when they will open by means of the spring 7G which rests on the topofy the elliptical spring L. The feed screw K may then be easily pushedback into the sleeve s and then the cam b being turned down compressesthe jaws I, I, of the female screw over the threads of the feed screw K.As it might be diiicult, however, to insert a nail plate between thejaws of the nippers j while they are turning around on every half strokeof the nail machine the motion of the wheel G (which communicates motionto the pinion p the pinion shaft or sleeve s and feed screw K) istemporarily stopped by turning the wrench Z which causes the spring eunder the pawlV t to drop, and the pawl being no longer pressed upwardby its spring, falls down, out of the ratchet teeth u, and the motion ofthe crank F no longer produces any motion of the wheel G. The wheel maybe instantaneously set in motion again by turning the wrench Z so as togive the spring e its proper pressure against the under side of the pawlt, when the apparatus resumes its operation as before. `Thus everyupward stroke of the cutting lever C, of the nail machine, draws thenail plate from the edge of the lower cutter c, turns it half around,and advances it again the right distance, equal to the thickness of thenail to be cut by the machine. During the down stroke of the cuttinglever C by which the nail is severed from the nail plate n all the partsof the feeding apparatus are at rest, excepting the crank F which ismoved backward until the spring pawl t catches into another ratchettooth u ready to turn the wheel Cr on the upward motion of the cuttinglever C.

Duringthe backward motion of the crank F and springpawl t the nail issevered from the nail plate n by the descent of the upper cutter e, whenthe lever C is raised and while the nail is being thus Iliade, the wheelGr is held perfectly still by the springs w and w acting on the stopsfu, lv, as before described; which (as the pinion p on the sleeve sgears into the wheel G) holds the nail plate n rige idly in itsplace,-between the cutters, until the upward stroke of the lever C setsthe wheel Cr again in motion, and turns and advances the nail plate asbefore described.

I have described my feeding apparatus as if it were placed immediatelyin front of the nail machine, with the face of the wheel G and the axisof the feed screw K in a vertical plane exactly parallel with the planein which the cutting lever c moves. This is the position which, intheory, it ought to occupy; but as it is impossible to set it exdo itswork as well as it can be done by hand, to adjust it laterally so as tosuit the taper of the nail by turning the set screw z' as beforedescribed which moves the whole feed apparatus on its center pin Z whilethe ball and socket joint 7' and Q at each extremity of the connectingshaft E prevent the motion of the feed apparatus from interfering in theslightest degree with the motion either of the nail machine or feedapparatus.

Having thus described my impro-ved nail feeding apparatus what I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is I l.Connecting the feeding apparatus with the nail machine by ball wrists oruniversal joints, in some pointer point-s situate in a vertical linethrough the center ofthe nail when cut, and in locating all the pointsof such connection in this vertical line, for the purpose of giving thefeed apparatus a lateral motion'in the arc of a circle, whose cutter isin that vertical line, whereby the feed apparatus may be accuratelyadjusted without stopping the operation either of the feeder or nailmachine.

2. The use of an elliptical spring or steel hoop, as the bearing for thefront end of the feed screw, in combination with vthe sleeve s ball acam f and spring g for the purpose of allowing the turning of the nailplate and drawing it back while turning.

3. The use of. the. large wheel G, constructed as described, incombination with the pawl t and pinion p for the purpose of y

